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Today’s Case

Sprouts signs eight female college athletes to NIL deals

Sprouts Farmers Market continues its longterm commitment to women’s sports by announcing eight new individual NIL deals with female athletes from schools in Sprouts communities across the country.

To date, Sprouts has executed more than 150 female athlete deals through NIL partnerships. In 2022, Sprouts celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX with 50 NIL sponsorships of female athletes within the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences. In 2023, it continued its commitment to women’s athletics with more than 45 partnerships with college athletes.

The class is headlined by Stanford basketball star Cameron Brink and Oklahoma gymnast Jordan Bowers.

Alisa Gmelich, Sprouts senior vice president and chief marketing officer: Sprouts remains steadfast in our commitment to elevate women’s athletics through ongoing NIL partnerships with talented female athletes. We’re thrilled to extend our support with eight new partnerships, reaffirming our ongoing dedication to empowering women and fostering opportunities for women in athletics.”

The Verdict

• Women’s History Month tie-in is outstanding

  • Given that March is women’s history month, this is great timing to announce this partnership for these eight elite women college athletes.

    • Also, said athletes are currently in season for their respective sports - further accentuating the timing.

  • It should also be noted that Sprouts’ initial NIL campaign was announced in June 2022 - showing that the company promotes women’s sports all-year long and not just in March.

• Continued NIL opportunities for women

  • As male athletes continue to receive the bulk of NIL deals (specifically football and men’s basketball), this is a great initiative to be inclusive of female athletes and offer them a partnership opportunity with a well-respected organization.

  • And let’s be honest: women are much better creators and have higher engagement on content than us guys. (Sorry, fellas - it’s the truth.)

• Can be creative with content

  • While the actual content from the athletes varies (ie., pic in store from Cameron Brink, Instagram Reel from Jordan Bowers, etc.) I feel there are opportunities to level up the partnership.

    • What athletes eat in a day featuring Sprouts products, how nutrition plays a part in the life of athletes, what Sprouts means to the athletes empowering women’s sports, etc.

Student-athletes should provide feedback to brands on NIL deals

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